Linux Arrives on 50,000 Brazilian Desktops

Three companies in Brazil have begun deploying Linux-powered desktop PCs for the Brazilian federal government's "Computers for All" program. (DesktopLinux.com)

Three companies in BrazilBitWay Computadores, EnabledPeople, and Imtechhave begun deploying Linux-powered desktop PCs for the Brazilian federal governments "Computers for All" program, EnabledPeople announced today. The ready-to-use PCs, sourced by Bitway, include the "Linux XP Desktop" operating system, developed by EnabledPeople and supported by Imtech.
Estimated monthly deployment is about 10,000 desktops, with 50,000 desktops already delivered, EnabledPeople, a Linux development company, said. The company did not indicate the total number of desktops that are to be deployed in the course of the project.

The Computers for All project is part of the Brazilian federal governments "Program of Digital Inclusion," initiated in 2003. The projects objective is to provide low-cost computers to the population and to boost technological development, EnabledPeople said.

Linux XP Desktop is described as a user-friendly desktop operating system for home and office users. With a preinstalled version, a user gets an application set that includes the OpenOffice.org office suite, the Evolution e-mail client, the Firefox Web browser, and the GAIM multi-protocol instant messenger, among other software. According to EnabledPeople, Linux XP Desktop is a Red Hat-compatible operating system, and is compatible with Red Hats application set.
EnabledPeople and Imtech have partnered to work on Latin America Linux solutions, according to EnabledPeople. Imtech will represent EnabledPeoples interests, sell its products, and provide technical support by phone and by Web help desk for the products, company officials said.
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Chris Preimesberger was named Editor-in-Chief of Features & Analysis at eWEEK in November 2011. Previously he served eWEEK as Senior Writer, covering a range of IT sectors that include data center systems, cloud computing, storage, virtualization, green IT, e-discovery and IT governance. His blog, Storage Station, is considered a go-to information source. Chris won a national Folio Award for magazine writing in November 2011 for a cover story on Salesforce.com and CEO-founder Marc Benioff, and he has served as a judge for the SIIA Codie Awards since 2005. In previous IT journalism, Chris was a founding editor of both IT Manager's Journal and DevX.com and was managing editor of Software Development magazine. His diverse resume also includes: sportswriter for the Los Angeles Daily News, covering NCAA and NBA basketball, television critic for the Palo Alto Times Tribune, and Sports Information Director at Stanford University. He has served as a correspondent for The Associated Press, covering Stanford and NCAA tournament basketball, since 1983. He has covered a number of major events, including the 1984 Democratic National Convention, a Presidential press conference at the White House in 1993, the Emmy Awards (three times), two Rose Bowls, the Fiesta Bowl, several NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments, a Formula One Grand Prix auto race, a heavyweight boxing championship bout (Ali vs. Spinks, 1978), and the 1985 Super Bowl. A 1975 graduate of Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif., Chris has won more than a dozen regional and national awards for his work. He and his wife, Rebecca, have four children and reside in Redwood City, Calif.Follow on Twitter: editingwhiz